Donna Berry was 33 and from Gastonia, North Carolina. She died on November 7, 2007, and her funeral was held at Linwood Church of God with visitation at Carothers Funeral Home.

Public notices about her passing are limited to the obituary and funeral arrangements. The available notices do not give a cause of death and do not mention arrests, suspects, charges, or a criminal investigation. It is not clear from the announcements whether her death was linked to any criminal activity or to natural causes.